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Saturday, 13 July 2019

Grit Salad

Pea shoots are young leaves of the pea plant, harvested as microgreens at just a couple weeks of growth. Cooper and I made this a project on our 6 week motorcoach trip. We planted the seeds, watered every day, and harvested our first crop about two weeks later. We emptied the box and put in fresh soil and planted our second crop which is now starting to sprout. It is a fun project for us while traveling and is providing us with some great healthy farm to table greens! I bought my box with soil and seeds on Amazon, this is the link- Organic Pea Shoot Kit.

They taste like peas and are great tossed in salads, in sandwiches, or cooked by themselves or with other ingredients for a stir fry.

Here are 6 health benefits of pea shoots-Cancer Prevention- Pea shoots are a great source of chemoprotective agents:folate, antioxidants and carotene. Folate helps produce and maintain cells and protects against DNA damage. Antioxidants help the body fight free radical damage, commonly associated with high cancer risk. Carotenes help inhibit antixidant activity and are commonly associated with increased cancer prevention.

High In Antioxidants- One cup of pea shoots provides about 35% the daily value of vitamin C and 15% the DV of vitamin A. Incomparison, this is seven times as much vitamin C as blueberries and four times as much vitamin A as tomatoes. They are also an excellent source of vitamin K, providing 66% the DV from a one cup serving.Anti-Inflammatory- Pea shoots are dense with the antioxiodants and phytonutrients needed to support the body's complex inflammatory system.Diabetes- While many studies point to the many benefits green peas can have for people suffering from diabetes, there is less research to conclude that pea shoots provide as much protection. However, pea shoots contain many of the nutrients that can help keep blood sugar levels low as well as great antioxidant support, which is considered essential in supporting people with type two diabetes and lowering the risk of developing diabetes.

Heart Health- Through large scale research on the relationship of pea shoots and cardiovascular health remains unavailable, the support these leaf greens provide the inflammatory system and immune system of the body, as well as the high levels of antioxidants and phytonutrients they offer indicate the pea shoots may lend a wide range of cardiovascular benefits. Inflammation and antioxidants alone help protect heart disease.

Weight Loss- Pea shoots have an outstanding nutrient to calorie ratio and offer a good amount of dietary fiber, which helps control body weight and regulate the metabolism. Through they may not directly induce weight loss, they remain a great addition to an effective weight loss program.